2018 Ncia Board of Directors Election Voter Guide
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` 2018 NCIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION VOTER GUIDE About the Board of Directors NCIA’s Board of Directors is the governing body that establishes the organization’s broad objectives and strategic direction. As such, the board has authority over NCIA’s bylaws, mission statement, strategic plan, and budget, and provides oversight to ensure the organization adheres to these. Board members contribute to the organization in many ways. They provide direct financial support as well as via fundraising efforts; act as NCIA’s ambassadors by helping to build membership; and support the organizational mission in other ways as needed. The board consists of 18 elected directors, plus the executive director, who reports to the board as a whole. Elected board members serve two-year terms and elections are staggered, occurring annually, with 9 of the 18 total seats up for election in 2018. The newly elected members will join the board at its next meeting in July 2018. Who Qualifies to Run for the Board? To qualify for board election, a candidate must be the owner or employee of a current dues-paying Sustaining Member business and must be nominated by at least one other NCIA member business (of any level). No more than half of the board members may reside in any given state, and at least four states shall be represented on the board at any given time. No less than half of the board may be representatives from “direct-to-plant” businesses, which NCIA’s bylaws define as entities that handle the marijuana plant or cannabinoids derived from the marijuana plant in the course of doing business (i.e. cultivators, retailers, infused product manufacturers). Ancillary cannabis businesses can occupy any of the remaining board seats if a nominee receives sufficient votes. How does the NCIA Board Election Work? NCIA is committed to always working for the interest of its broad membership base. To that end, NCIA employs a democratic process for selecting the board of directors. All NCIA member businesses are encouraged to vote in the board election. Votes are proportionally weighted according to membership level. The votes of Regular Members will be weighted at face value; Sponsoring Members’ votes will carry twice the weight of Regular Member votes; and Sustaining Members’ votes will carry five times the weight of Regular Member votes. Regular and Sponsoring members may upgrade to a higher level of membership in order to increase their influence in the board election but must do so prior to submitting a ballot. Contact our membership department at [email protected] or (888) 683-5650 if you’d like to upgrade your current membership. Upgrading for only the month of the election is not encouraged. All the benefits of our higher membership tiers are available on our website. How does the Voting Process Work? The election is conducted electronically via a secure online voting form. Qualified voters (one representative of each current member business) may select up to 9 of the 20 nominees. NCIA members will receive an email with a unique link to a secure online election ballot. If you do not receive the email containing the ballot by 11:59 PM EDT on Monday, April 30, please contact us immediately at [email protected] or (888) 683-5650. Each member-business account may only complete the ballot once. The votes will be tabulated and weighted according to the membership level of the member business associated with the account. Individuals who cast a ballot on behalf of their member-business are responsible for verifying that they are authorized to do so within their own corporate leadership structure. Members may vote for up to 9 candidates (submissions with fewer than 9 candidates are acceptable); your ballot represents your only opportunity to vote and you will not be able to cast votes for additional candidates at a later time. 2018 Candidates (19 Total) *Updated on May 7, 2018 Moe Asnani - iLava Gary Cohen - Cova John Davis (Incumbent) - Northwest Cannabis Troy Dayton (Incumbent) - The Arcview Group Etienne Fontan (Incumbent) - Berkeley Patients Group Michael Gruber - Salveo Capital - WITHDREW FROM ELECTION Aaron Justis (Incumbent) - Buds and Roses Kris Krane (Incumbent) - 4Front Ventures Jaime Lewis - Coldwater Consulting Olivia Mannix - Cannabrand John MacKay - Synergistic Technology Associates - WITHDREW FROM ELECTION Michael Minardi - Minardi Law Mark Passerini - The Om of Medicine Erich Pearson (Incumbent) - SPARC Ean Seeb (Incumbent) - Manna Molecular Gregg Steinberg - Growcentia Mikey Steinmetz - Flow Kana Ian Stewart, Esq. - Wilson Elser Law Firm Kimley Svendsen - Waterstone Staffing Holdings, LLC Manndie Tingler - Papa & Barkley Taylor West - COHNNABIS 2018 CANDIDATE GUIDE Moe Asnani iLava Tucson, Arizona Industry Sector: Infused Products and Extractions (Medical) Direct-to-plant Member since May 2014 Candidate Bio: Mohit “Moe” Asnani immigrated to the United States with his mother from India in 1995. He discovered the benefits of medical marijuana when his mother was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. He was unable to provide her quality medicine when she underwent chemotherapy as she lived in Utah which had no good options, legal or otherwise. When Arizona legalized medical marijuana in 2010, he decided he wanted to participate in the industry to help patients who were previously faced with the unfortunate choice of breaking state and local laws or watching a loved one suffer. This helped him provide palliative options to his mother when she moved to Arizona and was diagnosed with a terminal stage of breast cancer in 2014. She passed away in August 2016. Today, he has a laser focus on ensuring that patients in the United States have the right to try marijuana as either a palliative treatment or even a potential cure for specific types of cancer. In addition to reforming the 280E tax code and obtaining banking access, Moe also believes that American companies in medical or adult use states that have developed products using marijuana or its derivatives should have a higher priority to protect their intellectual property than foreign companies who have federally legal programs and are rushing to file provisional patents with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. He is currently a partner in two Arizona dispensaries, The Downtown Dispensary & D2 Dispensary. Why do you want to be on the NCIA Board of Directors? I believe that NCIA has proven itself to be the most effective organization to lobby and force federal reform on core issues including the threat of federal prosecution, 280E reform, and access to banking and merchant services. I think the next two years will provide an opportunity for NCIA to make the case of American cannabis companies being put at a disadvantage compared to Canada, Germany, Australia, and Israel who all have federally legal medical cannabis programs. I think that is a strong argument that resonates with the current administration. Where do you see the cannabis industry in 3-5 years? I believe this is how these three sectors shall solidify in the next years: Medical Cannabis In states with medical cannabis programs, I envision producers in the sector distributing a limited set of products to PBMs (Pharmacy Benefits Managers) such as CVS or Express Scripts. I also believe that patients will be able to legally use FSA/HSA plans to purchase medical cannabis within 5 years. Adult Use Cannabis Producers and Retailers shall continue to innovate their product lines and also their advertising abilities through strategic lobbying. There will be significant deal flow stemming from liquor and tobacco companies wanting to participate in the cannabis space. Access to banking shall also enhance the valuations of both medical cannabis and adult use cannabis enterprises greatly. Hemp and CBD Based on upcoming legislation proposed by Senator McConnell, I predict that hemp-based CBD products shall be distributed at mainstream retailers nationwide with market penetration similar to weight loss dietary supplements. Hemp companies that have a head start in Kentucky and Colorado shall have the highest valuations in this space. How long and in what way have you been advancing the cannabis industry or the marijuana policy reform movement? Seven years ago, I entered the medical marijuana industry by participating in the rule-making process led by the Arizona Department of Health Services in early 2011. Because of my deep experience with inpatient JCAHO/HIPAA compliance and managed care applications, I launched the consulting firm Arizona Dispensary Solutions in 2011 for the purposes of licensing, regulatory compliance & management. During this time, I realized that there were many gaps in the regulatory workflow that needed to be addressed. I voluntarily developed user interface guidelines for the Arizona Department of Health Services Medical Marijuana Verification System that were adopted the same year. I also helped the Arizona Department of Health Services test new functionality developed prior to public release during the early stages of the program’s implementation. In the spring of 2013, I worked with the Nevada State Legislature in the drafting of SB 374 which allowed 60 dispensaries regulated by the Nevada Division of Public & Behavioral Health. It became law in October 2013. I also was part of a dispensary group that worked with the Marijuana Policy Project in developing the framework for Proposition 205 that would have legalized adult use marijuana in Arizona. Although a close vote, it did not pass during the 2016 election cycle. I am currently active in the Marijuana Industry Trade Association and the Arizona Dispensaries Association. I also helped pass a law in the 2018 legislative session that enhances corporate protections in Arizona. What other qualifications do you hold that would make you an excellent board member? After seven years in this industry, my passion for it grows every day. I shall help candidates in the 2018 election cycle that are friends of our industry and plan to develop templates for this purpose that can be used nationwide.